Mommin' It Up!

October 31, 2014October 30, 2014

We trick-or-treated and our kids are the BEST!

So there ya have it. This post could have been a one-liner. BUT, since it was the 10th anniversary (which as Emily pointed out means 11th actual time we’ve trick-or-treated) of our cousin trick-or-treating extravaganza, I must also provide PICTURES! Pictures! And since my good camera just broke they are sub-par iPhone pictures! But they will at least give you photographic proof that a) we continued our tradition and b) OUR KIDS ARE THE BEST! See for yourself!

Joshua was Falcon from the Captain America movies and Jonah (who was NOT at all pleased about getting his costume on at first) was Ironman.

Sam was Star Lord from the Guardians of the Galaxy (are you sensing a theme among the boys?)

Sophie was Merida from Brave. Except, you know, without the red curly wig. Because as she told Kate, “We didn’t have enough money for the wig.” Which actually means, “My mom is too cheap to buy the wig.” #truth

Kate was…a nerd from a Taylor Swift video, so she says. And we believe her! I love this picture of these two cousins who started our Halloween tradition!

Here are some more fun shots of our night. We FINALLY had decent weather for the first time in several years!

Kate’s friend Rachel, who looks like she is receiving a punch in the face from Joshua, also trick-or-treats with us every year.

He got into the spirit after the candy started rolling in.

We even got him to wear his mask for awhile!

They stayed out later than ever before this time!

We had a great night and I can’t wait until next year! What are your little cuties trick-or-treating as this year?

October 30, 2014

Why can’t I be medium-neurotic?

Last year, I was the room mom for Kate’s and Sam’s classes, making me responsible for the Halloween and then Valentine’s Day parties. The party planning really threw me for a loop and I spent a ton of time, money, and anxiety on them.

This year I’m only the room mom for Sam’s first grade class – and if I over-stressed last year, I am under-stressing this year. Big time.

I mean, I only have one spreadsheet!

Seriously, this shindig is tomorrow, and I’ve barely gotten my head around it… maybe laying it out here would help.

We’re going to have four stations:

1. Snacks. Check that one off the list!

2. Halloween bingo. Print, cut, done. I told you I am phoning this in!

3. Slime. This one… stresses me out a little. It sounds like a good idea in theory – kids will enjoy making ooey, gooey, slime, right? But it definitely has the potential for mess and disaster. I’m debating assigning this station to my science teacher husband… he can talk about polymers and solids and liquids and all that nonsense, but I might be better served to put a couple crafty moms there instead. Lots of variables here.

4. Spider craft. This was the one Halloween craft I could find that didn’t involve glue, hand prints, or paint. So let’s hope for the best.

I used SignUpGenius again this year and it makes it so simple to get the other parents involved. Maybe that’s why I’m not stressing out so much…

Wish me luck!

October 29, 2014

Here – read some stuff other people wrote.

So, once upon a time I was a blogger who had mildly-amusing things to say. Sadly, that time is no more. I don’t know what my deal is but I’ve got nothing lately (although I can still find ways to incorporate Happy Gilmore screen shots into my posts, so at least I have that going for me).

Fortunately for the rest of the world, the same thing isn’t happening to other people. I’ve read a few things this week that have really stuck with me, and I thought I’d pass them along.

First up – “Failing Teachers” from Learning Lessons with Mrs. Labrasciano. This firsthand, candid account of what it’s like to be a teacher in 2014 is dead on. It begins:

“A fellow teacher recently told me that this was her last year teaching, I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’m not. She isn’t the first teacher who has told me she’s done, honestly I’ve lost count of the amazing teachers who have left the classroom.”

YES. So much yes.

I could go on and on about this subject, (I won’t because my husband would kill me. See also: “Teachers don’t like talking about feeling inadequate. We would prefer to quietly work away in our classrooms doing what is best for our students.“) but I will say this – the way we are treating teachers in this country is absurd, and it’s an issue to which we should all be attuned. It is important not just for those of us who are teachers (or who are married to teachers), or even those of us who have school-aged kids, but for those of us who want the next generation of Americans to, you know, learn how to read.

Getting down off my soapbox.

Next, we have “The Evolution of Blogging Complete with Pumpkin Pictures” from our dear friend Jeannett at Life Rearranged. I think Jeannett’s been blogging about as long as we have, and she captured its evolution in that time – and the lingering question of where that leaves us, those who are “not able/willing to put in the time to Go Big…but also not quite sure how to Keep Going Medium.”

So go read it and then you’ll know why I never have anything to say anymore.

Finally, to lighten the mood – “The Default Parent” from M. Blazoned on the Huffington Post. Because who among us can’t relate to this?

“The logistics are on me. No problem. I got this. Sometimes, I get a call from Dan eager to help. These calls typically start out with, “What time does Lily get out of jazz?” I already want to punch him in the face. It’s the same time EVERY week!”

And this:

“I was once in California for work and got a call asking me where George’s sneakers were. And here’s the worst part… I knew.”

And also this:

“The only dream left for the default parent is to contract a highly contagious, non-life threatening virus. But even then, we know the children will find us in our quarantine tent to ask us to open a jar.”

What am I missing – anything else I should add to my reading list?